The present invention relates to a novel and useful design for an electric vehicle having regenerative capabilities.
Although the electric car is not a new concept, many problems still exist which prevent the electric car from becoming a commercial reality. Present day electric cars have been developed which use electrical energy stored in a battery or batteries. After a relatively short use, these batteries must be recharged for a considerable long time. In regard to solving this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,860 to Shibata describes a system for producing an electric vehicle using two types of batteries for different driving situations to increase the range of the electric vehicle. This system could be used to feed the electro portion of the electrocombustable drive engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,041 to Mager describes an electric vehicle which employs a Jones Chopper for controlling the motor. This system could be used to control the flow of voltage to the motor means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,292 to Bermon shows a foot peddle system for an electric vehicle which employs a permanente magnet which is used to control the frequency of a fixed pulse width chopper. A battery current is applied by the copper to the drive motor. The circuitary of this could be used to control operation of the electro portion of the engine of the present invention if the electro portion was being used as the drive for the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,472 provides for the use of a low power gasoline engine, however, it is only used to recharge the main banks of batteries for an electric vehicle and can only do so while it is in operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,380 illustrates an electric engine used only to drive the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,280 describes a DC--DC power converter which employes a chopper, current source inverter, and square wave generator to produce an alternating current. A transformer is then used in conjunction with a rectifier to change the voltage of DC input power. This system could be used to control voltage used with the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,438 to Moore provides for an electric engine and a combustable engine to drive the vehicle. The combustable engine is also used to recharge a storage battery. This vehicle can only regenerate the storage batteries while it has a velocity or is in the idle position.
Germany Pat. No. 2,823,225 to Lauster provides a hybrid transmission and a motor generator as the drive unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,218 to Horvet provides an electric drive engine, a fan operated generator, and a axle driven generator. It cannot regenerate the storage battery while the motor means is deactivated or the vehicle is stopped.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,485 and 3,923,115 teach the use of flywheels to store energy from an electric vehicle. These systems might be used to provide additional power to operate the present inventions generation equipment, however, it is not likely they would perform well using the present inventions concepts.
Although attempts have been made to regenerate electrical power by use of auxiliary engines and other hybrid devices, or recharge the storage batteries of an electric vehicle, none of the prior devices employs the regenerative potential of the drive engine alone as well as the regenerative potential from the movement of the vehicle to re-energize the storage device in all modes of operation of the vehicle including the stopped position with the motor means deactivated. None of the prior art has recognized the full potential of the stored kinetic and mechanical power of the vehicle itself and have not come to a realization that this power can be taped at any time while the vehicle has a velocity. None of the prior art devices can regenerate an electric voltage three ways in a single vehicle e.g. while the vehicle has a velocity, in the idle position, or while the motor means is deactivated and the vehicle is in the stopped position. None of the prior art shows a 3rd, 4th, and 5th generator means. None of the prior art shows a kinetic, mechanical storage device that allowes the vehicle to regenerate the storage device when the vehicle has been stored for a period of time.
My regenerative electric vehicle is the only one that uses velocity and nonvelocity dependent parts of the vehicle to store or use the vehicles kinetic and mechanical power to regenerate the vehicles energy storage device while the vehicle is in motion, in the idle mode, or while the vehicle is stopped with the motor means deactivated. My vehicle is the only one that can store the vehicles kinetic or mechanical power for an indefinite period of time to be used at any future date. My electric vehicle is the only one shown that uses five seperate generator means that allows the stored or unstored kinetic and mechanical power to regenerate a energy storage device or devices. My vehicle is the only one that can regenerate the energy storage device after the motor means is deactivated and the flywheels have stopped movement.
None of the prior art references suggest or shows these functions. None of the prior art references describes or suggest the structure which would perform these functions individually or jointly.